Netflix, the streaming company, continues its quest into the gaming industry but is moving away from creating AAA games weeks after shutting down its internal gaming studio, codenamed “Blue,” in favor of AI-generated gaming.
Netflix Executive Mike Verdu announced on LinkedIn that he’s moving to a new role as vice president of GenAI for Games. He mentioned that he is currently working on a “once in a generation” inflection point for game development and player experiences using generative AI.
Verdu also expressed excitement about being alive when AI arrived and how it was reminiscent of the gaming industry during the 90s when new games launched every few months that “redefined what’s possible.”
For those concerned about human developers, Verdu added, “I am focused on a creator-first vision for AI, one that puts creative talent at the center, with AI being a catalyst and an accelerant.”
While he mentioned they remain “creator-first,” the move in favor of GenAI raised new questions, particularly about the future jobs of human game developers, adding them to the long list of potential casualties of the AI revolution.